Cargo or dunnage air bags are used within the cargo shipment or transportation industry as a means for readily and easily securing or bracing cargo within the holds of, for example, railroad cars, ships, airplanes, truck trailers, and the like. Such dunnage or cargo air bags conventionally comprise an inflatable bladder which is enclosed within an outer bag or envelope which is conventionally fabricated from a plurality of paper plies. The air bags are conventionally of such construction and size as to readily enable the same to be inserted into voids or spaces defined between spaced loads, or between a particular cargo load and a side or end wall of the cargo container or hold, whereupon inflation of the air bag, the air bag will expand thereby fixedly engaging the adjacent cargo loads, or the cargo load and the container wall, so as to secure the cargo loads against undesirable movement during transit. Obviously, in order to achieve the inflation of the cargo or dunnage air bags to a predetermined pressurized level, such air bags are also conventionally provided with an inflation valve assembly so as to permit pressurized air or compressed air to be conducted into the interior portion of the inflatable bladder so as to inflate the same, or to permit the pressurized air or compressed air, already disposed within the inflated bladder, to be exhausted out from the interior portion of the inflatable bladder so as to deflate the same.
A first conventional PRIOR ART inflation valve assembly is disclosed, for example, within FIG. 1 which substantially corresponds to the inflation valve assembly portion of FIG. 2 as illustrated within U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,541 which issued to Krier et al. on Aug. 27, 1991, and as shown within FIG. 1 of the noted patent to Krier et al., the inflation valve assembly, generally indicated by the reference character 12, is adapted to be positioned within a corner region of the cargo air bag which is generally indicated by the reference character 10. The cargo air bag 10 is seen to comprise a paper bag 11 and an inflatable bladder 62, and the inflation valve assembly 12 is seen to comprise a tubular valve body 56 defining a hollow space 57 therewithin, and an annular flange portion 60 integrally fixed thereto. The tubular valve body 56 is adapted to be inserted through an aperture defined within a wall 58 of the cargo air bag 10 such that the free distal end 80 of the valve body 56 projects outwardly from the cargo air bag 10 so as to be externally accessible for fluidic communication with a suitable air inflation fixture or assembly by means of which the compressed or pressurized air can be conducted into the interior portion of the inflatable bladder 62. An external annular shoulder portion 66 of the valve body 56 engages an outer surface of the air bag 10, while the annular flange portion 60 is adapted to be ultrasonically welded to an interior wall portion of the inflatable bladder 62 so as to form an air-tight seal therewith.
The inflation valve assembly 12 also comprises a valve stem 70 which extends through the hollow space 57 of the valve body 56. A closure plate 72 is disposed upon a first end of the valve stem 70, and a spring member 76 is interposed between an internal shoulder portion of the valve body 56 and a second opposite end 78 of the valve stem 70. An annular valve seat 64 is defined upon an interior portion of the valve body 56, and an annular ridge 74 is defined upon the closure plate 72. Accordingly, the spring member 76 normally biases the closure plate 72 and its annular ridge 74 onto the valve seat 64 such that the inflation valve assembly 12 may be disposed in a first CLOSED position or state whereby pressurized air or compressed air cannot be conducted into the interior of the inflatable bladder 62, or alternatively, pressurized air or compressed air, already contained within the inflated bladder 62, is not permitted to escape from the inflated bladder 62. Conversely, when a force is imposed upon the free end portion 78 of the valve stem 70, the valve stem 70 is axially moved against the biasing force of spring member 76 such that the closure plate 72 and its annular ridge 74 are moved away from the valve seat 64 such that the inflation valve assembly 12 may be disposed in a second OPENED position or state whereby pressurized air or compressed air can be conducted into the interior of the inflatable bladder 62, or alternatively, pressurized air or compressed air already contained within the inflated bladder 62 is permitted to escape from the inflated bladder 62.
In lieu of the spring-biased valve stem mechanism as disclosed within the inflation valve assembly of Krier et al., the inflation valve assembly may alternatively comprise a second conventional PRIOR ART type inflation valve assembly wherein a flapper valve member is mounted upon the inner end portion of a tubular valve body so as to likewise be movable between, for example, a first CLOSED position or state, either by means of the inherent resiliency of, for example, a living hinge structure, or as a result of being biased to the CLOSED state or position by means of the internal pressure present within the inflatable bladder when the interior portion of the inflatable bladder has actually been pressurized, whereby, in either case, the flapper valve member will be disposed upon a suitable valve seat, and a second OPEN state or position as a result of, for example, the flapper valve member being manually manipulated whereby the flapper valve member is able to effectively be moved away from its valve seat, so as to permit an inflation nozzle to be fluidically mated therewith, whereby pressurized or compressed air can be introduced into the interior of the inflatable bladder of the dunnage or cargo air bag. Once the interior of the inflatable bladder has in fact been pressurized and inflated to the desired state, the internal pressurized air is able to be effectively and sufficiently retained within the interior of the inflatable bladder of the dunnage or cargo air bag as a result of, for example, the threaded engagement of an external closure cap upon the inflation valve assembly which effectively closes and seals the inflation valve assembly.
A second conventional PRIOR ART inflation valve assembly, of the aforenoted type, that is, one which comprises a flapper valve member, is disclosed, for example, within FIG. 2 which essentially corresponds to FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,711 which issued to Lung-Po on Oct. 31, 2000. From an overall point of view, it is seen that the second conventional PRIOR ART flapper type inflation valve assembly comprises a valve block or valve body assembly 10, a flapper valve assembly 20, a valve cap assembly 30, and a fastener assembly 40 for securing the flapper valve assembly 20 to an underside portion of the valve block or valve body assembly 10. More particularly, the valve block or valve body assembly 10 comprises an upstanding tubular body portion 11, a dependent body portion 13, and an external annular flange member 12 disposed at an axial elevational position interposed between the upper and lower body portions 11,13. The external annular flange member 12 is adapted to be sealed to an inflatable member, such as, for example, the inflatable bladder of a dunnage air bag, by means of a suitable ultrasonic sealing technique, and the inner wall portion of the valve block or valve body assembly 10 is provided with an internal annular flange member 14 at an axial elevational position which substantially corresponds to that of the external annular flange member 12.
A portion of the internal annular flange member 14 includes a shelf member 141 upon which a mounting bracket portion 24 of the flapper valve assembly 20 is fixedly mounted by means of a plurality of plug rods 42 which project upwardly from a base member 41 of the fastening assembly 40 so as to extend through a plurality of apertures 22 defined within the mounting bracket portion 24 of the flapper valve assembly 20. In addition, it is seen that the flapper valve assembly 20 comprises a movable flapper valve member 25 which is integrally connected to the fixed mounting bracket portion 24 of the flapper valve assembly 20 by means of a living hinge type structure 23. The movable flapper valve member 25 is adapted to be engage the undersurface portion of the internal annular flange member 14, which therefore effectively serves as a valve seat member, when the flapper type inflation valve assembly is to be disposed at its CLOSED position. It is further appreciated that the external periphery of the upstanding tubular body portion 11 is threaded as at 111, and a cap member 33, of the valve cap assembly 30, is adapted to be threadedly mated upon the externally threaded portion 111 of the upper body portion 11. A connecting element 32 is connected at one end thereof to the cap member 33 as at 31 and is adapted to be connected at its opposite end to the valve block or valve body assembly 10 such that the cap member 33 is always connected to the valve block or valve body assembly 10 and cannot therefore be lost or separated from the valve block or valve body assembly 10.
Continuing further, a typical, conventional, PRIOR ART dunnage or cargo air bag 50, as disclosed within FIG. 3, and which corresponds in part to FIG. 4 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,981 which issued to Shaw on May 7, 1974, is seen to comprise an inflatable bladder 52 which is encased within a plurality of paper plies 55,56,57,58,59,60. In order to inflate the inflatable bladder 52, it is seen that the dunnage or cargo air bag assembly further comprises an inflation valve assembly, generally indicated by means of the reference character 90, which is mounted within the dunnage or cargo air bag assembly such that an internal gas distributor portion 120 of the inflation valve assembly 90 is disposed internally within the inflatable bladder 52, while a cylindrical housing portion 91 extends through apertures, respectively formed within side wall portions of the inflatable bladder 52 and each one of the multiple paper plies 55,56,57,58,59, 60, so as to be fluidically connectable to a source of pressurized or compressed air. The inflation valve assembly 90 further comprises an annular flange portion 96 which comprises an upper sealing surface 97 which is adapted to be heat sealed to an internal wall portion of the inflatable bladder 52, and an abutment surface 99 upon which the annular flange portion 122 of the gas distributor 120 is adapted to be mounted in a heat-sealed manner. The gas distributor 120 comprises a frusto-conical shell portion 121 and an end piece 123 within which a plurality of air-flow apertures 125 are defined. A valve member 105 is movably mounted within the cylindrical housing portion 91 of the valve assembly 90 so as to normally be mounted upon a valve seat 100 under the influence of a biasing spring 115. In this manner, when a suitable source of pressurized or compressed air is fluidically connected to the valve assembly 90, pressurized or compressed air can be conducted into the interior of the inflatable bladder 52 as schematically illustrated by means of the arrows 130,135.
With reference now being made to FIG. 4, an additional conventional, PRIOR ART dunnage or cargo air bag is disclosed and is generally indicated by the reference character 110. It is seen, or to be appreciated, that the dunnage or cargo air bag 110 is similar to the dunnage or cargo air bag 50 as disclosed within the aforenoted patent to Shaw, in that the same comprises an inflation valve assembly 112 which is adapted to be fluidically connected to the internal inflatable bladder, not shown, and which extends outwardly through the inflatable bladder, not shown, as well as through the enveloping paper plies, only the outermost one of which is disclosed at 114, so as to be capable of conducting pressurized or compressed air into the inflatable bladder, not shown, or alternatively, to permit the pressurized air, already disposed within the inflatable bladder, to be exhausted outwardly from the inflatable bladder. It is to be appreciated, however, that in lieu of the inflation valve assembly 90 as disclosed within the aforenoted patent to Shaw, the inflation valve assembly 112 is similar to the inflation valve assembly as disclosed within FIG. 2 which, of course, corresponds to the inflation valve assembly as disclosed within the aforenoted patent to Lung-Po. More particularly, it is seen that the inflation valve assembly 112 comprises an externally threaded tubular body member 116, and in addition, an internally threaded closure cap 118 is adapted to be threadedly engaged with the externally threaded tubular body member 116 of the inflation valve assembly 112 when, for example, the dunnage or cargo air bag 110 has been inflated to the desired state and it is desired to maintain the dunnage or cargo air bag 110 in such inflated state.
Regardless of the particular or specific structure of the inflation valve assembly, however, and as can be readily appreciated still further from FIG. 4, it is seen that when the apertures, holes, or openings are formed within, for example, each one of the plurality of paper plies comprising the dunnage or cargo air bag 110 so as to permit the inflation valve assembly 112 to project outwardly therethrough in order to be readily accessible to the source of compressed or pressurized inflation air, not shown, it sometimes happens that the portion of each one of the plurality of paper plies, which effectively forms or defines the inner, annular periphery or rim wall portion 120 of each aperture, opening, or hole, as exemplified in connection with the outermost paper ply 114, will not always inherently remain in a substantially flattened state within the vicinity of the annular flange portion of the inflation valve assembly 112. To the contrary, that portion of each one of the plurality of paper plies, which effectively forms or defines the inner, annular periphery or rim wall portion 120 of each aperture, hole, or opening, will sometimes tend to effectively move or be disposed away from the annular flange portion of the inflation valve assembly 112 so as to be disposed within the immediate vicinity of, and even become engaged with, individual thread portions of the externally threaded tubular body member 116. Accordingly, it can be appreciated further that the portion of each one of the plurality of paper plies, which effectively forms or defines the inner, annular periphery or rim wall portion 120 of each aperture, opening, or hole, will sometimes tend to effectively interfere with the threaded engagement and mounting of the threaded closure cap 118 onto the threaded tubular body member 116 of the inflation valve assembly 112 whereby proper closure and sealing of the inflation valve assembly 112 cannot be properly or assuredly attained or achieved.
While suitable auxiliary securing means or implements, such as, for example, an annular grommet similar to that disclosed at 70 within FIG. 3, and as more fully disclosed within the aforenoted patent to Shaw, have been employed so as to effectively control or counteract this phenomenon, whereby one leg portion 71 of the grommet 70 is disposed upon the outermost paper ply 60 while the other leg portion 72 of the grommet is interposed between the innermost paper ply 55 and the inflatable bladder 52, such securing means or implements do not necessarily provide a viable solution to the aforenoted problem in that the installation of, for example, the grommet 70 upon the dunnage or cargo air bag assembly 50 requires an additional operation not normally incorporated within the processing line for fabricating or manufacturing the dunnage or cargo air bag assembly. In addition, since the grommet 70 comprises a separate and independent component or implement which is to be secured, mounted upon, or attached to the dunnage or cargo air bag assembly 50, it is necessary to maintain a suitable supply or inventory for such grommet components. Still further, in view of the fact that the grommet 70 comprises a separate component or implement which is to be secured, mounted upon, or attached to the dunnage or cargo air bag assembly 50, additional measures must be implemented so as to ensure the fact that such separate and independent components or implements are not lost or otherwise unavailable at the particular installation station.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a new and improved dunnage or cargo air bag wherein each one of the multiplicity of paper plies, comprising the dunnage or cargo air bag assembly and encasing the inflation valve assembly, can be appropriately secured, without the need for auxiliary implements or fixation members or means, within the vicinity of the inflation valve assembly such that the portion of each one of the plurality of paper plies, which effectively forms or defines the inner, annular periphery or rim wall portion of each one of the apertures, holes, or openings, through which, for example, the tubular body member of the inflation valve assembly projects outwardly, will not be disposed within the vicinity of the external thread portions of the tubular body member of the inflation valve assembly so as not to effectively interfere with the threaded engagement and secure mounting of the internally threaded closure cap upon the externally threaded tubular body member of the inflation valve assembly.